too intense or bad dog floor/framerail repair..

[Lunar240z]

I'm trying to weigh my options of how to go about my floor placement. Has anyody used one of these? Anybody think the too intense restoration floor/framerail kit worth it at 260 bucks?

 

http://www.datsunrestore.com/images/FLRPAN.JPG

 

 

or should i try baddog's framerails & seat brackets and just get some sheet?

 

or just sheet & some rectangle tubing?

 

how much would i be spending just on sheetmetal?

 

{i know some of the questions have been addressed, but i haven't seen anything about these products yet.}

[Sparks280zt]

Im pretty sure the datsun restores pans are made by Charlie at Zedd Findings. I ordered my pans from Charlie and they required a great deal of cutting and massaging to get them to fit properly. I would suggest buying the premade bad dog frame rails as they are already made and are a descent price, then fabricate your own pans from some sheet metal.

[silicone boy]

That's some nice floor metal work. It's worth $260 for sure, but it's not hard to make your own rails and use sheet metal--it just takes time, doesn't cost a whole lot in materials (very little, in fact, if you beg, borrow, or better yet, steal). It's also a lot more solid than sheet metal.

[COZY Z COLE]

I'm trying to weigh my options of how to go about my floor placement. Has anyody used one of these?

should i try baddog's framerails & seat brackets and just get some sheet?

 

{i know some of the questions have been addressed' date=' but i haven't seen anything about these products yet.}[/quote']

 

 

I used bad dog's frame rail replacement and they fit great.... They are twice the thickness of the oem rails and fit right over them. They were then skip welded.

 

http://www.baddogparts.com/

 

LARRY

[Lunar240z]

do you have to weld them over the frame rails? i pretty much have to cut out my whole floor sans trans tunnel

[mom'sZ]

Hey Lunar240Z:

I worked in the paint and body business for 25 years. I did a lot of panel replacement, collision work, and restoration. To answer one of your original questions, as to how much you would be spending on sheet metal, it's cheap! You can go to a metal shop and just purchase a sheet. Like plywood, it comes in 4' x 8' chunks, which should be plenty for two full floor pans. I can't remember exactly but should be under $30 or $40 bucks. Make sure to get plain cold rolled steel, no galzinized. As far as the replacement panels, well... that has to do with what you want to get out of it. When I was a young man doing this type of work, (quite a while ago) they didn't make all these replacement panels. We basically had to make everything out of plain sheet. In that way you guys are lucky now. I tried to zoom the picture of the too intense pans, it looks like they have some beading and are formed to replicate the original pans but it's hard to tell. The beading in the original factory pans is what gives them a lot of their strength. That's hard for your average guy to duplicate. It depends on what part of the pans needs replacing, how handy you are with sheet metal fabrication and welding. And finally the rail question. I've heard a lot of guys talk well of the bad dog rails. Although I'm not sure I love the idea of just placing them over the old rails, if I was replacing my frame rails, I won't want the old rusty ones inside my nice new rails. I've also heard of one member here on HybridZ who has a nice web site with drawings and dimensions and pictures on how to do it yourself. I can't remember his name, I will try to find the link and post it. Not to nit pick or anything, even thou this is kind of a chassis question, it might be better suited for the paint and body forum. Check there for lots of info on welding, panel replacement and methodology.

[mom'sZ]

I found it!! the guy's name is Pete. Here's a link to his web site

 

http://alteredz.com/structuralmods.htm

 

the first part is how to replace the front frame rails, but down toward the bottom there is a drawing with dimensions and pics. check it out

[Lunar240z]

What guage steel do you recommend?

 

I'm taking a welding class but its just been arc welding plate metal in different positions, so i haven't welded sheet yet. the teacher likes staying on task, so i don't have much help there... i've got a friend thats supposed to bring over a flux core wire feed welder, but he said he would bring it over like a month ago...

[MusPuppis]

I will be fabricating my rails and pans from scratch. I like this option as it will allow me to tailor the materials to my needs and insure everything fits correctly. I also enjoy being able to say I made them myself. That and I greatly enjoy the whole process involved in it.

 

Steel is a little more costly as of late for one reason or another, but I expect to be able to get the material I need (and a vast amount extra) for something like 160-200$ total. This will consist of one 4x8 (or 4x10, I dont remember the minimum size I was told they would sell) 18g sheet steel and 24ft of 2x3in .081 square tube steel (24ft being the minimum I was quoted they would sell). To answer your question more directly, I beleive for the sheet metal alone I was quoted 54-85$ depending on the supplier.

 

It helps to call several different suppliers in your area and check prices. You may find the sheet to be much cheaper at one suppilier than another. When I did my price checking I found a 10-15$ disparity (sp?) in the price between different shops. It may be alot cheaper to get the sheet and tube from different sources.

 

The website posted with the framerail info on it its very similar to what I'll be doing. 240hoke, a member here has a website dedicated to the buildup of his Z. He has a section on the repairs he did to his frame rails and pans. I'll be pretty much copying what he did with a couple minor changes. I'd check out his website if I were you, its very informative.

 

I cant speak for the quality and fit of the products you mentioned though, as I have never used them.

[mom'sZ]

Arc welding isn't going to work on sheet metal. flux core wire weld I've never personally tried. Some on this forum say it's OK, most pooh pooh it. Small mig may be in your future.

[BWRex]

heres a couple photos of mine,hope it helps.passenger side mig welded to the T/C supportinside 2x3 tubular steel .125 thick

[MusPuppis]

Flux is alot hotter than gas welding.. So it can be an adventure to get it to weld thin metals properly, but if you can keep from burning through it'll weld up just as strong - if a little less pretty.

[AK-Z]

As with all forms of welding, prep work will dictate mostly the outcome of the welds. I think TIG and MIG /w gas are the easiest forms of welding because one can controll the atmosphere, more than other forms, in which the weld takes place.

[dj paul]

im doing this same thing, i wish i knew about these rails before i started, ive had to spend a lot of time fabricating, its not hard, its just time consuming. i will take pictures and show you my custom suspension mount points and how the floors and frame rails are. on my web page the weld is bad on the frame rail so ive redone it since then and ive got a lot more done.

[EvilC]

I just got my rails from BADDOG and they really do fit great. I think they really worth the price and I if you can't make them yourself then it's the way to go.

[Mikelly]

Go here and look at my rails in the "new Zcar Project" folder... http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z ...They are exact copies of the Altered Z blueprints on Pete Paraska's website (http://www.alteredZ.com) and work much better than the other two designs being sold here because they truly tie the front and rear subframes together. I recommend 2X3 inch boxed steal in .065 to .095 thickness and some 1/8th inch plate steel to close off around the TC box and at the rear to finish the tie in to the rear subframe.

 

Grab a sheet of 18-20 gage steel sheet and cut your own floor pans and be done with it. It will be time consuming, but you'll have less than $150 in materials IF you can do the welding yourself.

Mike

[BWRex]

I agree with Mikelly.I used.125 thick (little overkill)but they are super strong.Also if your floorpans aren't too rusty like mine,take some careful measurements and cut the original floorpan and tack them in.On the underside,I used 90 degree prebent strips,like an L,and welded one side to the subframe connector,one side to the floorpan,the entire length each side of the connector.Again probably overkill,but they aren't going anywere,I got to practice my welding skills,and they sealed up any gaps.

[turbo_fb]

Thoose BadDog parts are for 280z, does thoose fit a 260z at all?

 

Also wondering about thoose Frame Rail Bars they sell, thoose for 280z aswell?

[Ed260Z]

That will depend on if you have a early or late 260Z.

[Mikelly]

Guys, I really do hate to let a cat out of the bag and retract statements, but Baddog is going to release a FULL framerail that will look a lot like what Pete Paraska made and I copied. I'd recommend waiting or contacting BADDOG for this updated rail that is soon to be released.

 

Mike